


A Good Thief

by LeeMarie_66



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo - Freeform, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Dante's Inferno The Movie Staring Ben Solo, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry Adam Driver, Inspired by Twitter, Maz's is Rey's Boss, Rey - Freeform, Rey's A Personal Assistant, Reylo - Freeform, Rose is Rey's Best Friend - Big Shocker, Short One Shot, Smut, modernau, movie star Ben solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:01:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeMarie_66/pseuds/LeeMarie_66
Summary: Ben Solo is the lead actor of Dante's Inferno. Oddly enough his outfits keep disappearing. Maz the costume director assigns Rey her P.A. to track them down.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 19
Kudos: 46
Collections: Rey/Ben Solo, Reylo Prompt Fills (@reylo_prompts), Things that make tros hurt a little less





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [juniordreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniordreamer/gifts).



> This work is dedicated to my Thirst Order ladies. Thanks for pushing me to keep writing and challenge myself.

I walked to the coffee station and poured myself a cup from the shiny silver carafe before putting the cup under the pump and infusing it with the french vanilla creamer, two pumps. Setting it on the table, I grabbed a red stirring straw and swirled the liquid, watching as the white liquid melded with the dark brown liquid becoming a beautiful creamy brown. I lifted the cup to my mouth right as Ben walked up beside me and grabbed a cup, I nodded to him as I sipped my creation.  
  
_Mmmmm, fucking perfect, the man and the coffee._ I thought to myself.

I must have said the, "Mmmmm," part out loud because Ben turned to me, one brow raised. "Good?" I nodded.  
  
"Yup." I recommended the french vanilla creamer. He shook his head, "Nope, just straight black coffee for me, stupid diet plan they have me on doesn't allow for the calories in that creamer." He eyed my cup warily, almost jealously. I pulled it closer to my body before bringing it back to my mouth, taking a sip. He watched each motion intensely.

He was dressed in his full costume, the metal shoulder guards wide on his already large frame. The large red cross etched across his tan shirt. Ah yes, he looked like Dante alright, and damned if I didn't want to fall right into his inferno. He took a sip of the coffee he held, making a face at it's bitterness. I held out my cup to him, glancing around in a very obvious, 'I hope no one is watching' way. He laughed taking the cup from my hand, his fingers brushed mine and a small shiver ran up my arm.

He took a sip and let his eyes close enjoying the warm liquid as he let it slide down his throat, "Fuck that's like a million times better." He said, handing the cup back to me. I smirked at him, "If I were you I would run the extra fifteen minutes for those two pumps."

"Hey now, I'm no two pump chump!" He laughed as my face turned bright red at the innuendo.

_Was he flirting with me? There's no way right? He was Ben Solo and I was literally a no one._

I was a fucking personal assistant to the costumer designer. I was a nobody. Deciding to play it cool I stuck with, "Guess we'll never know." I shrugged at him, turning my back to him and walking back towards my station in the costume department. Avoiding the camera rig as it swung around on its arm by ducking under it, I saw my best friend Rose and made a path towards her.

She smiled when she saw me, "Hey girl, Maz just said we need to get Ben into his next set costume." She held up a long sleeve red shirt that had three lace up holes at the very top on either side of it, however, it was very clearly missing the piece of fabric that was supposed to run through the holes.

I eyed her warily, "You realize it's missing the threading fabric, right?" I arched a brow at her as she flipped it around towards herself. A string of curses flying from her mouth as she shoved it into my arms and flew back into the racks of clothing.  
  
"I'll help you look, what pants go with this by the way?" I asked hanging the red shirt on the to be delivered hook by the entry door that stood ajar. Her head popped up from between the racks and she looked around the racks grabbing a pair of black leather pants, shoving them into my hands.  
  
Dear God. I couldn't wait to see him in these.

I grabbed a clip and hung them with the shirt by the door. "And shoes?" She pointed to the black boots that were already set by the door before she popped up from between the racks, her face triumphant.

"Ah-ha! Found you little fucker." She said eying the red piece of fabric that looked to be a strip of red cloth that had been trimmed down. She walked towards me, handing it to me. I took it from her and strode over to the ensemble that needed to be delivered to Ben. The outfit was complete unless he needed a belt. I turned to Rose, "Is there a belt or any accessories for this one?"  
  


She grabbed a clipboard off the back wall of our small space going down the checklist, "No, it says he has the accessories for this one already." She smiled at me before speaking again. "Will you _please_ deliver it? He doesn't seem to mind you, and he is _ALWAYS_ snappy at me."

I looked at her pleading face, knowing I would do it before I even spoke because it's just who I was as a person. "Sure, but you owe me. This is literally YOUR job. Mine is to do what Maz tells me, you know what Maz told me to do today? Make sure Poe has coffee all day. That's it."

I grabbed the hanger that held his shirt and pants before bending down and picking up the boots off the floor; Fucking size fourteen boots, insane. She shook her head looking at Rose, "You're sure he has all the accessories? Because if I walk all the way to his trailer on the opposite side of this studio and have to walk back I'm going to be pissed."  
  
Rose rolled her eyes at me, "Yes, it says here necklace and ring. That's it! He was given all jewelry items on day one."

"Ok, if you say so." I turned and started making my way back across the studio. Poe saw me out of the corner of his eye as I walked through the filming area and called my name. I paused turning to look at him. "What do you need?" I asked him politely, ready to go get him whatever he requested.  
  
He smiled at me and shook his head when he noticed I had my hands full, "Nothing right now, just saying hi. When you're done let me know, a few of us are going to get drinks today after we finish these takes if you want to join us." I smiled at him, nodding enthusiastically as I turned to continue my trek towards the door that would take me to Ben's trailer on the other side of the studio.

Finally arriving at it, I turned and pushed the long bar with my back, forcing it open. Apparently, someone else opened it at the exact same time and I fell straight backwards. Right into the very firm, strong arms of none other than Ben Solo.

"Whoa there, I got you." He said, looking down at me as I dropped one of the boots I had been holding. It fell in slow motion, hitting his shin and I saw his face grimace as he leaned me forward into an upright position.  
  
"Oh fuck. Ben, I am so sorry." I immediately bent down and grabbed his leg through the grey sweats he was wearing. He laughed looking down at me. I realized very quickly, I was in a very awkward position. My face was mere inches from his crotch. Did I mention he was wearing grey sweatpants?

 _Fuck_.

I stood rapidly, handing him the clothes in my arms. "Rose said you're supposed to change into these for the next set, you have your accessories that go with them already." I could feel the blush on my cheeks. I was positive my face wasn't just tinged pink, but bright red.

He turned and picked up the boot that had landed haphazardly behind him, adding it to the one in his arms. "Thanks, Rey." He smiled.

"I really am sorry about your leg." I said motioning towards his shin. He shook his head, "I promise I've suffered worse. A boot to the leg isn't gonna kill me, if it bruises though I'm coming to you when it needs to be iced down." He arched a brow at me as he smirked before he turned and walked away.

_Ok, I'm pretty fucking sure he's flirting with me._

I let the door close on it's own. Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself before heading back towards the costume department. I was about ten paces away from the door when I heard him call my name. Turning back towards the door I just re-entered the studio from, I looked at him. "What's up?"

"I need help." He had the red shirt on already, minus the red lace up fabric in the front and was still wearing the fucking glorious grey sweatpants.

_Jesus those things should be a sin._

Sighing, I walked back towards the door towards him, "You need help getting dressed?" I eyed him cautiously. He nodded.

"I haven't had to put on the fucking leather pants yet. Randi isn't here yet or I would just ask her. Look if this is awkward I'll go get Maz." At the mention of her name I immediately shook my head.

"No, it'll be fine." My mouth was suddenly drier than the fucking Sahara after a year long drought. Maz is not one to mess with, if an actor or actress asked for wardrobe help, you helped. It didn't matter if you had a fucking massive crush on them or not.

Ben opened his trailer door, holding it open and waving me in first. I hadn't been in his trailer before, in fact, the only trailer I had been in before was the wardrobe trailer for the stand ins.

Glancing around the first thing I noticed was how clean it was. The small living space had a brown leather couch and recliner facing the television. The kitchen had a half size fridge and no freezer that she could see. A full functioning stove and oven were built into the cabinets.

Not sure where I was supposed to be going I moved quickly to the living area, looking to him for direction. "I'll be right back." He said, before turning and heading into the bedroom area of the trailer; shutting the door behind him.

When the door slid back open he emerged in black compression shorts and handed me the leather pants. He was carrying a pump top jar of lotion as he sat in the recliner. I eyed him curiously, the compression shorts left little to the imagination.

"Roll those so that I can slip my feet in, those fuckers won't go on otherwise. I'm literally about to grease myself into them." He laughed looking up at my horrified face as he pumped lotion into his hand before slathering it onto his first leg. I noticed for the first time, that when he truly smiled, his eyes crinkled in the corners.

_It was fucking adorable._

Shaking the thought from my head I sat on the couch across from him, starting to roll the leather pant leg up. Laughing at the hilarity of the situation, because what else should one do in a situation like this?

I chewed on my bottom lip as I finished rolling, looking up at him to see if he was ready. "Alright, ready?" I shifted my gaze to meet his eyes and found that he was watching me. He nodded, standing in front of me. For the second time today, I found myself eye to eye with his crotch.

Taking a calming breath, I held out the pants, opening the first pant leg up for him as he stepped into it. He wasn't wrong, they damn sure didn't want to go up his legs, even with lotion on his leg. I stood, using gravity as a tool and yanked, the fabric finally giving and sliding up his calf and up to his thigh.

I grabbed the other pant leg and we repeated the process, laughing our way through it. Once we got both pant legs up to his thighs it was smooth sailing. I sat back down on the couch while he finished putting on the boots. He grabbed the ring and necklace that matched the ensemble, slipping them into place before he turned to me. "How do I look?"

"Fucking stunning" I breathed out, quietly without thinking.

He smirked at me, his eyes dark. "You think I look like Dante?"

I nodded, trying to play it cool after my slip up. "Yup." I said as I stood. "You're missing your tie on your shirt though." I pointed to the opening at the top of his shirt looking around on the ground for the red piece of fabric, not seeing it anywhere.

He turned and walked back into the bedroom, coming back out a few minutes later with the piece of fabric in hand. He was staring in the small mirror just inside the door trying to weave it through the holes.

I sighed loudly, "Just let me do it Ben." I walked towards him and he held the strip of fabric out to me. I took it from his hand gently; reaching up I threaded it through the bottom two holes before criss-crossing it through the next two. His breathing was uneven, I noticed, as I threaded it through the last two holes letting the two even threads hang down.

I looked at my handiwork and smiled. "Perfect, even Maz would say so." I met his gaze, his pupils were so wide I could no longer see the flecks of amber or honey that usually resided in his irises.

_Oh. Oh, shit._

I took a step back. Giving him space. "You look amazing, Ben. Now, go out there and show them what Dante's supposed to look like." I said. Trying to quickly change the course we were on.

He nodded and grabbed the door handle opening it. I followed him out the door, the warm California air exactly what I needed in this moment. He grabbed the studio door holding it open for me.

"Don't go anywhere, I'm gonna need help taking these off later." He said as I walked through the door. I wasn't sure, but it felt like there was a lot of promise in that statement.


	2. Chapter 2

I trailed behind Ben as he entered the studio, he approached the set where Poe had been when I had carried the clothing out to him just a bit ago. My eyes scanned the area looking for the dark-haired man who always had a smile on his face when he saw me. As they took in the set in front of them, they landed on him sprawled out across a bed, naked aside from the modesty sock that left little to the imagination. Poe's attention had been focused on the ceiling and his head rolled to the side, his gaze landing directly on me and our eyes locked. 

My breathing became rapid and my pulse started racing. Suddenly it felt like the world was turning on its side, my feet being pulled from beneath me and out to my side as the ground came up to meet my face; The world went dark. . .

"Rey? Hey, can you hear me?" The ethereal voice shifted across my skin. I can feel it more than hear it. I don't want it to ever stop holding me, I sink back into its warmth, letting the darkness hold me. "Fuck. Someone call 911." 

"I don't fucking care what your policy is I'm getting in that ambulance." He sounded so upset. I shook my head, trying to say his name to calm him down. "B..." I barely got the sound out before I felt the warmth pulling me back under. 

Bright white lights greeted me, "Hi, please sit very slowly if you try to sit up ok." I nodded, not trying to sit up just yet. Instead, I turned to look to my left, hoping to see someone, anyone sitting there. There was no one, I let out a sigh of disappointment. Not sure why I had expected someone to be here. Like I even needed anyone to take care of me. 

"Over here, Sunshine." His warm, rich voice wrapped around my senses like a warm blanket, enveloping me in all the good things in life I could ever possibly think to dream about. A dream, that's what this was. I smiled and reached out, letting my hand caress his face as the darkness pulled me back under again, the rhythmic beeping in the background lulling me into a deep slumber.

The next time I came to, things seemed much less distorted. I sat up slowly, pushing myself up with my arms, wincing at the pain behind my hand when I realized I had an IV running into me behind my left wrist. Taking in the room, the first thing I noticed is that I was very clearly in the hospital emergency room. My head ached something awful, I went to reach for it with my free hand. 

A firm hand wrapped around my wrist in mid-air, "Don't touch it." His voice was soft, like a warm summer day in the middle of a cold, stark winter. He slowly brought my hand back down, setting it by my side before releasing it. His gaze lingering on my hand. I studied him, perplexed. Why was he here? 

"Ben?" My voice came out shaky. His eyes shifted to mine and he smiled at me, a small half-smile. I noticed now that he was still dressed in the black leather pants, red shirt, and boots. I bet the hospital staff was having a hell of a time not tripping over themselves with how delicious he looked. 

_ Because fuck he did look delicious _ . 

The side of his lip quirked up slightly and I realized I had made a very grave mistake even before he spoke. "Do I?" 

My eyes enlarged, I'm sure if I had a mirror and could see my face they would reflect the size of dinner plates. "Oh God, what kind of drugs am I on? I want to die." I said out loud as I reached up covering my face with my hands. "I didn't mean that. I'm so sorry, It's the drugs talking."

His low chuckle from beside my bed washed over me, doing absolutely nothing to help calm me down. I lowered my hands only slightly, peeking over the tops of my fingers at him. He was leaned back in the chair now, his legs splayed open, looking very relaxed and pleased with himself. 

"Your mom will be here in fifteen minutes. I'll leave when she gets here. I promise. I just didn't want you sitting here alone." He said as his dark eyes met mine. "You scared us. How the fuck did you not see that camera arm?" 

Blinking my eyes rapidly, I tried to recall the moments before everything went black, him as Dante standing there dressed in those fucking skin-tight black pants berating a writhing and very naked Poe. The only scene in the whole fucking thing that depicted sex in this way, as they flash through the second layer of hell. The rest is just fighting nonstop and Ben splaying people open with Dante's scythe as he makes his way to Beatrice.

My mouth was suddenly dry all over again, I felt my face flush and tried to swallow. It provided no relief. He must have noticed my discomfort as he stood up and walked around my bed to a small tray that stood a few feet away, pouring me a small cup of water into the small styrofoam cup from the pink pitcher that was on the tray. 

He brought the cup to my mouth, holding the straw in place for me. "Drink." The single word was said as a command, not an offer and it did something to me deep in my core. I leaned forward, my eyes locking with his as I wrapped my lips around the straw and pulled the ice-cold water into my mouth. I didn't miss the fact that his pupils dilated slightly when I obeyed so quickly for him. Releasing the straw, I licked my lips slowly letting the moisture from the water soften them slightly before laying back on the bed. 

"I don't even remember what really happened, one minute I was watching you guys go through the scene, the next I woke up here," I remember bits and pieces in between, but he doesn't need to know that. He doesn't need to know that I remember him yelling at the EMT that he was getting in the fucking ambulance with me. He doesn't need to know I remember stroking his face. 

He sighed, setting the cup back on the table and sitting beside me on the bed. He was so close to me. Why was he so close? He smelled SO good. I leaned my head to one side looking at him, finally deciding to just ask. "Why are you here Ben?" 

He doesn't answer, just looks down at the floor, and purses his lips to one side. He stares at the floor like it's going to give him an answer. I let out a sigh, knowing he isn't going to give me an answer. "Ok, an easier question then, What did they say is wrong with me?"

  
  


He speaks now, softly. "You'll live, just a mild concussion, thank fuck." His voice sounds more relieved than I was expecting. I can't really begin to process the emotions that I'm feeling when my mom walks through the door. Ben jumps off the bed quickly, and my mom's gaze is immediately on him. 

"Oh. Hello. I'm Deanna." She extends her hand to him and he accepts it introducing himself with a smile. 

"It's so nice to meet you, I'm Ben. I called you from Rey's cell phone," he explained as he cast a sideways glance at me in apology. I shook my head at him in a don't worry about it manner as I turned to my mom. 

I sighed, "Thank you for coming Mom." She turned smiling at me, coming over and wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. I took my right arm and put it around her back in a half hug, patting her gently until she released me. 

When she pulled back there were tears in her eyes, "You scared the ever-loving shit out of me." Her thick Oklahoma accent came through then, and I laughed. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. That had always been my dad's favorite saying before he had passed in a car wreck two years ago. 

Ben was glancing around the room casually and I could tell he was uncomfortable, unsure of himself and what he should do now. "Hey, Ben?" I eyed him, as mom excused herself to go find a nurse to find out when I could leave, rubbing the top of my thighs in an attempt to qualm my anxiety that was starting to rise. 

He trained his gaze on me waiting to see what I was going to say next, "Thank you." I smiled at him, genuinely. "I mean it. Thank you for not letting me stay here alone. You're a really good friend." I briefly thought I saw what looked to be a look of pain flash across his face before he shoved a hand in his long hair, smiling at me. 

_ Why the fuck did I say that?  _

He walked towards the bed and reached in his back pocket when he pulled his hand back around to his front my purple phone case was in his grasp. "I definitely wasn't letting you go to the hospital alone. Rose was in the other studio and the ambulance was leaving. I don't know that we're friends though. Friends don't lie." He gave me a sad smile. 

I scrunched my brows thinking of when I would have lied to him. He took a step forward, his hand outstretched, handing me my phone, the look of sadness still marring his beautiful features. I took my phone from his grasp and as he released it he spoke softly, his eyes meeting mine. "They didn't give you any pain meds by the way," then he turned and walked out the door as I stared after him. 

_ What the actual fuck just happened _ .

A few minutes passed and I just continued to stare at the space that he had walked out of, unable to truly process any of the last ten minutes of my life. Ben Solo,  _ THE _ Ben Solo, just sat with me in the Emergency Room for..l glanced down at my phone...Oh, my God. I had eighteen missed calls and twelve text messages from the crew. My heart filled with affection for the amazing people I worked with as I lost my train of thought. 

I swiped the texts open reading them one at a time, the first one is from Rose. 

2:23 P.M.

Oh my god. I am freaking out. I just found out, Poe just ran over here in a robe, completely naked underneath and told me! Please be ok. I love you. 

2:27 P.M.

Um ok, wait the fuck up. Poe just told me that Ben Fucking Solo was acting like a feral fucking beast-man and wouldn't let anyone near you until the EMT's got there. Then he demanded that they let him ride with you? Girl. WTF? 

3:21 P.M.

Hoping you are ok, still haven't heard from you and getting worried. 

3:58 P.M.

Finally heard from Poe. He said Ben text him just now and they said you have a pretty nasty concussion but that's it. I'm so happy you are ok. NOW SPILL THE SHIT ON BEN.

5:37 P.M.

Hey, starting to worry now. Please call me. 

I type out a text and push send. 

Rey

6:21 P.M. 

Hey, I'm alive! My mom is here at the hospital with me now and I think I'm getting sent home soon. I'll call you once I'm settled in this evening. Idk anything about Ben. Today has been a total mind fuck. LITERALLY. 

I went through the other texts which were all pretty much just the generic "Hey hope you're ok." text from the people I work with, except for the ones from Poe. He and I had been flirting pretty heavily here lately but nothing more than flirting and a few texts here and there. We hadn't gone on a date, hell we hadn't even gone out for coffee. Not that he hadn't asked, I just always ended up being 'stuck at the studio' when it was time for our coffee 'date'. Just like his invite tonight, I would have found an excuse not to go out for drinks.

2:32 P.M. 

Hey Gorgeous, I just want you to know I'm thinking about you. I hope you're ok. Please text me when you can. 

3:52 P.M. 

I just spoke with Solo. He said you're ok and that is the best news I've heard all day. If you need anything at all please don't think twice about asking for help. Seriously, no matter how big or small it may seem, just ask. I'll have it sent over immediately. 

I typed out a text to him next, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth as I typed it out. 

Rey

6:25 P.M.

Hi Poe. I am still at the hospital. I think they are finally going to let me leave though. Thank you for checking on me :) 

I send generic thank you texts to the rest of the people who have texted me well wishes before setting my phone down, not even bothering with the missed calls yet. I'm not calling people back anyway, let's be honest here. I lay my head back against the pillow and think about my interaction with Ben today. The flirting at the coffee station, the pants debacle, Poe calling him a feral beast to Rose, and his odd behavior this evening even.

My head still laid back on the pillow, I hear my mom's voice echoing down the hallway. Her sickly sweet Southern accent standing out so heavily here in California. I groan as I lean forward opening my eyes, shocked to see that she has one very dashing Ben in tow. Along with the nurse who looks all too giddy walking beside them staring up at him. A small voice in my head yells the word and I shove it down. I don't want to hear it. But still it echos, rattling around in my brain, maybe I hit my head harder than I think. 

_ Mine...mine...mine... _

I realize now that the nurse is speaking to me and I shake my head, "I'm sorry can you start over, I'm still a bit foggy." It's a lie, but I don't care. I can't even bring myself to look at him, why did he come back. I'm sure it's mom's fault. She never can read social cues. I'm sure she probably forced him back in here somehow. 

The nurse starts her spiel again going over my discharge information, listing them off for me one at a time like I'm a small child who doesn't understand basic English. She mentions towards the end of her directions that irritability is a side effect of a concussion and the fact that I'm annoyed at her for telling me this is comical, the irony isn't wasted on me. 

Once she leaves the room I turn and glare at my mother and Ben, "Dare I ask why he is back?" I arched a brow at him. My temper not quelled after having to listen to the overly chatty nurse with an obvious crush on Ben go over my discharge paperwork. If I could get in a gym with some gloves and a bag right now I could put in some work, I curled my hands into fists, thinking of how good the  _ pop _ of the gloves slamming in the leather bag would feel. 

Ben glared at me seemingly none too happy he was here either, ah, so my assumptions that my mom had played a role in his re-appearance were correct. 

He spoke softly as he shut the door to the small room, "The paps caught wind of what happened on set today. I couldn't let you get eaten by the wolves on release." His words shocked me. Mostly because I was a no one. Why would the paps care? 

I sucked in a breath of air, "I'm so confused. Why would the paps even care? What the actual fuck? I'm a personal assistant to the Costume Designer. I'm a no one on the set. I didn't die. I got my feet pulled out from under me because I was distracted." I was ranting at this point and I didn't even care. The anger inside of me was insatiable now. What did that nurse say, three days before I could resume normal activity? 

_ Fuck that. I needed to be in the gym tonight.  _

"Someone had their phone out on set." The words froze me in place. Fear making ice run through my veins if what Poe had said was true. No, no, no, I glanced at my phone again. Eighty-two missed calls. Fuck, this wasn't about me. This was about Ben. He was here to make sure I got out of here without speaking to the press. 

We left the hospital through the back exit. They escorted us out through an ambulance bay and we loaded into the back of his town car which drove us over to the lot where my mom had parked and she exited the vehicle. 

When I went to slide out behind her she leaned down and to my utter horror sweetly said, "Ben, would you mind taking Rey back to her house so I can go home and get a bag together and call into work since she will need me to stay with her the next few days? I can be there in about three hours but that nurse said not to leave her alone and I'm sure she doesn't want to be in the car that long." She smiled at me like she didn't just throw me under a bus. 

Ben's low chuckle emanated beside me feeling my tension, "I would be honored to do that for you, Mrs. Jackson." He leaned forward smiling at her under the frame of the car door. "I'll stay until you arrive too so she isn't left alone, that way you don't have to worry about her." I let out a snort of annoyance and he laughed again. 

My Mom, always the oblivious one, smiled while thanking him again as she shut the door. The moment the I hear the look click I began speaking, softly, calmly, in an attempt to control my anger as it rose inside of me. "As much as I appreciate your help, Ben, I don't need it. I can take care of myself. I don't know what crawled up your ass today and made you feel like you needed to be my knight in shining armor but the gig is up. You can go home." I patted his shoulder as I leaned back in the seat of the town car. 

"Ok, that's fine. But he needs your address." He nodded to the driver who was patiently waiting in the driver seat. I quickly leaned forward and gave him my address and he put the car in drive. The rest of the thirty-minute drive was relatively quiet. Every once in a while, I would have to mute my phone as it would begin ringing again. As we got closer to my home I began getting nervous though, I didn't really want him to leave. 

I pulled in a deep inhale before slowly releasing it, "I'm sorry if I've snapped at you at all today." I glanced over at him. His dark eyes met mine, he looked somewhat surprised by my apology. "I'm not used to anyone other than my mom being around...and I'm just...sorry." I stared at him. He was still wearing the deep red shirt and black leather pants. 

_ Those things had to be uncomfortable. _

"Look, if you really want to stay until my mom gets here you can but don't feel like you HAVE to just because she asked." I scanned his face, looking for the guilt. I didn't see it which felt weird, a small sliver of satisfaction ran up my spine but I didn't let it take hold. I didn't feed it any bit of hope. I shoved it right back down where it came from. 

He leaned his head to one side, considering me. "You're weird. You know that?" I shrugged, knowing he isn't wrong. "I would like to stay. But can I ask a favor?" 

I looked up at him, "Any chance you have ANY sweatpants that might remotely fit me?" A giggle erupted within me that I couldn't contain as I shook my head no. "That's what I was afraid of, I'll send Randi a text and have her send a courier over with a bag." 

As we pulled up to the gated community I resided in, I had never in my whole life been more thankful for blackout windows. Ben laughed as we pulled up and he saw the paparazzi lined up at the front of the gated community. "Fun fact, always keep a blanket in the back of your car." He said reaching under the passenger seat in front of me and pulling a black fleece blanket and draping over my head. I laughed as he ducked under it with me, grinning. His eyes met mine and I realized now just how close we were. If I leaned forward, I could kiss him. God, I wanted to. I closed my eyes, pulling in a long slow breath, opening them as I exhaled softly. He was staring at my mouth now. 

"Ben," I said his name but my voice wasn't my own. It belonged to someone sex-starved and begging. His pupils dilated as he closed the distance between us, his mouth was on mine instantly but it ended just as quickly as it started. 

"FUCK!" He all but yelled the word. Leaning back against the seat through the blanket as I stared at him. He was breathing raggedly trying to calm himself the best he could. We pulled to a stop and we both sat still tucked under the blanket in silence. Finally, after several moments he spoke. "I'm sorry." 

I stared at him not sure what I was supposed to do now. "I...um...It's ok. I think we're here though." I pulled the blanket from my head, peaking out the window. Thankful for the lack of paparazzi inside my neighborhood. I popped the door open and exited the car as Ben slid across the seat and stepped out behind me. I shook my head at the sight of him, Dante - willing to begin the descent to Hell - going on a crusade to find his love even if it meant losing his own soul in the process. He looked the part right now, still wearing the clothes from the set. Those black leather pants would be the absolute death of me. 

_ Those black leather pants should be more of a sin than grey sweatpants _ .


	3. Chapter 3

Ben waved a hand in front of my face "Hey, you in there?" He leaned down into my eyesight which was regrettably trained on his very tight black leather pants. My cheeks flushed bright red as embarrassment washed over me.

"God...I've got to stop zoning out. I don't normally do that," I said as he smiled before he nodded towards my house, taking a few steps in front of me.   
  
I fell in stride beside him before I eventually outpaced him, leading the way to the keypad on my garage doorframe since my keys to my front door were in my purse back at the studio. I covered the pad with one hand and grinned at Ben while I typed in the code. "Can't have you knowing how to break in here. I have tons of valuables." I rolled my eyes as I said it, knowing full well he could buy my house and everything in it without blinking. He smirked at me and it made my insides twist around themselves.

As the door slid up I walked forward and went to open the interior door between the garage and the house. I was suddenly glad I never locked the door between the two spaces even though my mom always reminded me of how unsafe it was. I flipped the light on just inside the door walking into the mudroom, "Ben, can you hit the button to shut the garage door please?" I asked him.

His large hand hit the small grey box on the wall and the garage door started to glide closed. I walked into the kitchen and set my phone on the counter; popping open the fridge to see what I could quickly whip up for dinner. Rummaging through my remaining groceries I quickly realized that I didn't have a lot of choices. We could do spaghetti or tacos, I grabbed the ground beef from the fridge and turned to set it on the black marble countertop island.

"What do you think you are doing?" Ben's accusatory voice drifted from the doorway between my kitchen and the mudroom we had just entered through. He was leaning against the frame with his arms folded across his chest, the muscles in his forearms bulged in the pose where he had rolled the sleeves up just below his elbows and I felt the saliva in my mouth pool.

I forced my mouth to answer him, "I was going to make us something to eat. Tacos or Spaghetti?" I quirked a brow at him and smiled.

Ben took two long strides towards me closing the gap between us. "Go sit down. I'll cook." I looked up at him somewhat awestruck but didn't budge from my spot. He repeated himself but more firmly. "Go. Sit. Down." The words came out quieter but they carried much more authority. I took a step back and nodded letting out a sigh as I picked up my cell and walked around the island plopping myself on the barstool.

I watched him open the fridge and scan the contents then walk over to my pantry and pop it open. He rummaged through it, grabbing a few items and setting them on the counter. None of the items would make tacos or spaghetti. I grinned to myself and watched him gather all his ingredients trying to figure out what he was making before I finally just asked. "Ben...do you know...no...let me rephrase...what are you making?"

He paused his search for ingredients and turned to look at me. " Beef and Portobello Stroganoff unless you tell me these mushrooms are forever old," he said, grabbing the box of portobello mushrooms I had picked up at the farmers market on Saturday from the fridge.

"You cook?" I stared at him.

He looked at me across the island, a slow confident smile spreading across his features. "I do, it's one of my few hobbies. I actually took a few culinary courses to learn knife skills." He explained as he started to de-stem the mushrooms. After he finished de-stemming them he turned and looked at me. "Colander?"

"Two cabinets down from the fridge on the left in the top cabinets. It's bright pink, you can't miss it." I said. He opened the cabinet and sure enough, its fluorescent pink exterior made it stand out against the other items in the cabinet making it an easy item for him to find. He grabbed it and set it in the sink dumping the small tub of de-stemmed mushrooms into the pink slotted bowl.   
  
He started to reach for the sprayer and I stopped him. "Hey Ben, I hate to do this...but that's a set shirt." I chewed on my lip trying to think of if I had anything that would remotely fit him in my closet when I remember that I had a couple of XL band T-shirts in my closet that I used for sleep shirts every now and then. "Hang tight I think at the very least I have a t-shirt that will fit you, I highly doubt you're gonna fit any of my sweats though." I giggled as I slid off the barstool.

"Soooo...don't clean the mushrooms till you come back with a different shirt is what you're saying?" He looked at me, his eyes focused directly on mine. I nodded slowly and his smirk returned. "You know, I could just take it off and cook shirtless."

My mouth went dry and I quickly broke eye contact, "No, that's ok. I'll be right back." I squeaked the words out and practically sprinted to my bedroom. I swiped my hand across the light switch in my room and walked over to my closet turning the light on in there also. I flipped through my t-shirts and find the two band t-shirts that are bigger and pulled them from the rack. One is a large and one is an extra-large, surely one will work.

I turn off the closet light and decide to go ahead and check through the sweats I have and see if there are any in there that might fit him. I walk over to my dresser and slide the drawer open. Shuffling through the sweats, I find a pair of men's basketball shorts in a large. I laugh because I know I stole these from Finn at one of the casts get-togethers where I got too drunk and ended up having to crash on his couch. I've never been more thankful for one of my fuck ups. I snatch up the shorts in my hand and walk back into the front room.

Ben is sitting at the island where I had been earlier looking at his phone when I re-enter the area. He makes the barstool look small. "Hey! I've got good news, well kinda." I hold up the band shirts. "I have t-shirts but I also have a pair of basketball shorts that might fit you."

He hopped off the barstool and almost sprinted towards me. "My savior, fuck yes! You have no idea how bad I need out of these pants. Where can I change?" He took the shorts and t-shirts from my hand and looked around my home, his eyes scanning the hallway I had just emerged from.

Turning back down the hall, I led him to the guest room which was closest and pushed the door open. "Here ya go. I'll be back in the kitchen." I scrunched up my nose at him as he squeezed passed me in the hall. His large frame making the hallway seem so much smaller than it actually is without even meaning to do it.

Ben entered the room and quietly shut the door behind him. I start to walk back down the hallway towards the kitchen and I hear Ben say my name. "Hey Rey, Umm. Little help please?"

Laughing to myself because I know it's those damn black leather pants again, I shake my head as I approach the guest bedroom door. "You ok?"

"No. I need help getting these fucking pants off my fucking legs." He sounded exasperated.

Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Ben in the black Avenged Sevenfold band t-shirt his black leather pants undone and halfway down sitting on my guest bed. His hair was disheveled like he had run his hands through it multiple times in frustration and it made my mind automatically send itchy thoughts to my hands to do the same.

I sighed trying to act annoyed instead of insanely aroused as I approached him, "Ok. How you wanna do this. Because if we rip them Maz is going to kill us. And by us I mean me." I laughed, giving him a forced smile because I wasn't really kidding. As the personal assistant of Maz, if clothes came back fucked up I was the one who got the brunt of it.   
  
He looked down at the pants then back at me. "Wanna try holding on the waistband and I'll try to pull myself out of them?" He grinned.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yea that should work." I stepped towards him and he scooted back on the bed so that I stood between his legs. I placed my hands on either side of his thighs where the pants were already pulled down a bit and grabbed them. He lifted his hips and slid backward. The fucking pants didn't budge and the action just caused my body to fall forward on top of his. I released his pants and caught myself on my palms on either side of him.

Looking up at him, he was no longer smiling. The dark look across his features was one of lust. I shivered and placed my hands back on the pants. "Don't move this time," I said, my voice came out slightly raspy as I pulled forcefully and the pants slipped a few inches down. I smiled up at him and his eyes widened before a smile spread across his face. I didn't dare let my gaze land at the bulge in his compression shorts. It was there and growing quickly, instead, I gave the pants another hard tug and they gave way sliding down the length of his legs. With a final tug, I pulled them off his feet and turned giving him a wink before I took them and left the room.

I shut the door behind me and pulled the leather pants inside out folding them neatly, setting them on the end on the island as I walked back into the kitchen. I picked up my phone and walked over to the couch in the front room. Ben wasn't far behind me and came padding into the kitchen barefoot carrying his boots and the red shirt. "Thank you, I'll make sure you get these back eventually," he said as he set the boots in the floor by the barstool and folded the shirt up on top of the leather pants.

As I curled up on the couch I laughed, "The shorts are Finn's actually. I stole them after we had Rose's birthday party at his house one night and I had one too many drinks. So if anything you can give them back to him. The shirt, however...I definitely will hunt you down for that one, it's one of my favorites to sleep in."

He walked over to the sink and turned the water on rinsing the mushrooms before he grabbed the celery and rinsed it next. "I said I'll get it back to you eventually, I'm no thief. Well, at least not from friends." He chuckled to himself.

I quirked a brow, "Oh, are we friends again?" I sat up a little straighter on the couch putting my phone on the coffee table. "Because at the hospital I was told we weren't." I let the venom seep from my voice.

His eyes hit me across the open expanse of my kitchen and living room. They were dark and full of promise. "I'm really not sure what we are, but I don't think we are enemies." I noticed the small uptick of his lip on the right side, almost like he was trying to hold back the smirk that wanted to escape. "Do you have a cutting board?"

I sighed, "You really are making this harder than it needs to be Ben. Spaghetti is easy." I stood quickly from my spot on the couch and dizziness slammed into me. I felt the world spin and staggered to my left, catching myself on the winged back chair as Ben dropped the pan he had in his hand back on the island and sprinted towards me. His arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me to him.

"Easy, let's set you back down, ok." His voice was soothing and calm as he lowered me back to the couch. "This is why I'm cooking and you are supposed to be sitting and relaxing. Sit, please." His beautiful amber eyes met mine as he crouched down in front of me as I sat back down on the couch. His hand came up and brushed a stay strand of hair from my face before he released a deep breath. "You ok?"

I nodded, still staring into his eyes. I didn't really know why or how he was here, not really, but I was truly grateful at this moment. Tears started to form behind my eyes and I blinked them away. "Thank you for staying with me until my Mom could get back here Ben, especially after I've been an asshole to you most of the afternoon."

He grinned and stood up. "I mean you gave me the sweet shirt and said I could keep it forever, so I would say we are even." He turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen where he began prepping the mushrooms and celery. I didn't even argue with him. He could have the shirt, I was lucky he was here. I reached for my phone shooting a text to Rose.

Rey  
7:42 P.M.  
Ben Solo is currently in my kitchen barefoot dressed in basketball shorts and an A7X t-shirt chopping celery and mushrooms. In what fantasyland am I living?

Rose  
7:42 P.M.  
Pics or it didn't happen.

  
Rey  
7:42 P.M.  
I am not trying to sneak a picture of him right now but it's definitely happening. And he kissed me in the car on the way here. Like whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhat!?

Rose  
7:43 P.M.  
OMG! WTAF?

Rey  
7:44 P.M.  
More gossip... I took his pants off him...Well, technically I put them on him too.

Rose  
7:44 P.M.  
Hold up. EXCUSE THE FUCK OUT OF ME?

Rey  
7:45 P.M.  
Ha. Not in a sexy way. I mean... I don't think. But the leather pants, they are too tight for him to put on by himself. Randi wasn't on site today. He asked when I delivered them if I could help him out with umm...putting them on. And I did. So there's that. Then I helped him take them off this evening. LOL but again, not like in a 'take them off' kind of way ya know.

Rose  
7:47 P.M.  
Oh my God. Ben Solo is in love with you.

I hear him cuss from the kitchen and look up from my phone. "You ok in there?" He is standing over the cutting board and chopping something as he curses. I realize as I watch him he is cutting an onion and his eyes are watering.

"Fucking fine, just hate onions with a passion. Whose idea was it that we were going to make these things a staple in every meal?" He continued chopping and I giggled.

Standing, this time much more slowly, I walked over and pulled out a barstool so I could watch him work. His knife skills were very good. "Wow, you're like really good at that." I said as he diced the onion into small pieces with quick efficient movements, never really lifting the knife from the cutting board.

Rey  
7:52 P.M.  
I highly doubt that but he's in my kitchen making me dinner while I wait on my mom to get here. I'll take what I can get.

Rose  
7:52 P.M.  
WERK IT!

I smiled at my phone as I set it down and he caught my grin. "What are you grinning like a fool for?" He asked across the island as he slammed his hand down atop the flat edge of the blade crushing a piece of garlic beneath it effectively removing it from its outer shell. He reached for another clove repeating the process while he stared at me waiting for an answer.

"Just texting with Rose. She was worried about me." I met his eyes. "I'm the worst hostess ever, can I get you something to drink Ben?" I realized I hadn't offered him anything at all and felt terrible. He smiled across the kitchen island at me wryly. "Sweetheart it's almost like you got the sense knocked of you today."

_Sweetheart, swoon._

"So...Did you want something to drink Ben?" I watched as he turned and dumped the onion and garlic into the saute pan on the stove.

He turned to face me, "If I did, I would go get it myself and you would stay your ass on that barstool." He looked at me sternly. "Where is your liquor?"

I smiled, "The wet bar is around the corner in the office area through the front room, so if you want scotch or whiskey it will be in there. There is also a built-in wine fridge hidden in the cabinets. The first cabinet on the bottom next to the fridge." I watched as he pulled the door open and glanced at the small selection of wines I had on hand.

"You have any opened white wines I could use in my sauce?" I rolled my eyes but nodded.

  
Pointing to the main fridge, I said, "Very back of the fridge on the right there should be a pinot grigio from two nights ago." He found it quickly and set it on the counter before he turned and lowered the heat on this pan pulling it off the flame and stirring it. He walked around the island into the office space just past the front room, returning with a rocks tumbler of amber liquid.

He sat the tumbler on the black countertop, pulling the pan back on top of the flame adding his ingredients to the pan browning the ground beef. There was something inherently sexy about watching this man do something so absolutely domesticated. He was a multi-million dollar movie star who had no business standing in my kitchen drinking scotch and cooking me dinner yet here we were.

My phone buzzed and I looked down. I had been avoiding all calls solely because my phone had been blowing up all night long with paps calling me. Another unknown number, I declined it, I was now up to one hundred sixty-four missed calls. I was going to have to change my phone number. This was so dumb, I'd had this phone number since I was thirteen. I let out a sigh and dropped my head down against my arms.

His soft voice echoed around me, "You ok?" I nodded, my head still buried in my arms. I wanted the media shit to stop already.

Chewing on my lip I lifted my head. His eyes were on me but he was still standing at the stove adding in his final ingredients and placing the lid over the top of it as he adjusted it to a simmer. "I'm going to have to change my phone number aren't I?" I asked him. His eyes fell to the slate grey tile floor under his bare feet.

"Yea, probably so, but the good news is you won't have to give it to anyone you don't want to have it." He looked up and smiled at me, "Like me."

I shook my head at him, "Right, because I definitely am not giving it to you. Who knows what kind of random text I would get from your bear paws. Can you even text with those things?" I laughed at him.   
  
He held his hands up in a surrender gesture as he walked past me and into the front room area, "That has to simmer for thirty, and for your information yes they text. These hands are skilled as fuck. You saw my knife skills right?"

  
_The fuck did I ever... I wonder what else those hands are good at?_

I rolled my eyes at him and followed him into the front room picking up the TV remote and handing it to him. "If I pick the show we will end up watching Snapped so you might want to pick." He chuckled as he turned on the television and the glow of it cast across the room. I curled up in the oversized wingbacked chair as he plopped onto the couch flipping it to the Dodgers vs. Astros game.

I sat up and smiled, "Mm I hope Mookie bats soon. I love him." I smiled at the television tucking my legs up underneath me as Ben turned to stare at me.

"You watch baseball too?" His voice seemed somewhat incredulous as he asked the question and a small laugh escaped my lips.

I mentally debated telling him that I probably watched more baseball than he did but I didn't want to open the can of worms it would entail. My dad had been a scout for the Dodgers. I wasn't ready to dive into that conversation yet. I just wasn't, so instead, I just said, "Yep. I love it."

We fell into conversation about the Dodgers season and the upcoming pennant race. We were currently leading the NL West and it was looking like a promising playoff season for the boys in blue. Dad would be proud that's for sure. I smiled to myself as I thought how much Dad would have loved Ben and then immediately shook the thought away.

The timer in the kitchen went off and Ben popped up off the couch to go check his creation. I stood slowly behind him, learning from my earlier mistake of standing too quickly, and followed him. I pulled out my barstool and sat back down watching him again as he stirred the pasta.

"That smells so freaking good Ben," I said, sniffing the air. He turned from the stove, smiling at me as he reached for the two bowls he had set out. He spooned the Stroganoff into them and brought them around the island setting one in front of me and one at the barstool on the other side of me before going back around the island.

He grabbed us both a napkin and fork setting his down beside his bowl. He grabbed the rocks tumbler he had filled earlier which was now empty and walked back into the office. "Do you want anything to drink? I know you can't have alcohol tonight but can I get you something while I'm up?"

I smiled at his thoughtfulness, "I can get it." I said, starting to slide off the barstool. His look stopped me in place. "Or not," I said scooching back into my chair. "Just a water is fine, thank you, Ben."

He returned a few moments later with his rocks glass setting it down before walking around the island and grabbing me a glass and filling it from the Brita in the fridge. I laughed at how casually he moved around my kitchen. In just the hour he had been here he was already navigating it like he knew where everything belonged. He brought the glass of water over to me and placed it beside my plate.

He perched himself on the barstool beside me once more, "Alright, dig in." He grinned at me as I dug my fork into the Stroganoff and took my first bite letting my eyes slide closed. Ben couldn't cook, Ben could fucking **COOK**. The food was amazing and ten times better than anything I would have been able to throw together.

A moan escaped my mouth as I pulled the fork away, "Oh holy shit, Ben."

His eyes opened wide as he turned to fully face me, a smug smirk across his face. "Definitely not the way I thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth but I'll take it."

Choosing to ignore him, "You're like an amazing cook." I said as I stabbed another bite of noodles and shoved them into my mouth. Another moan tried to leave my throat and I was able to stifle it but not before Ben heard the beginnings of it and his smirk twitched upwards on one side.

"Thank you. I don't get to cook for anyone other than myself very often. This was nice." He smiled as he took a bite. My cell rang and I recognized my Mom's ringer, one of the only ones I had set to come through even when my phone was set to _Do Not Disturb._

I picked it up, "Hello."

"Hey, I'm headin' that way. Do you need me to pick up dinner?" Mom's southern dipped voice soaked through the line.

Smiling, I looked at Ben as I answered, "No, actually Ben cooked for me. It's umm...stroganoff of some kind." I scrunched my nose up at him as I talked to my mom while he watched me, pulling the rocks glass to his mouth and sipping it slowly.

_Fuck. That's hot._

A low heat spread through my core at the sight of him sitting there relaxed and comfortable in my home; Wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts after cooking me dinner and sipping his scotch over the spherical ice cube. Really, the man deserved some kind of thank you gift at the very least.

"Ok, well honey traffic is really heavy tonight it's likely to be at least two hours before I get there. Is Ben sure he doesn't mind stayin' until eleven?" She asked and suddenly a wave of guilt washed over me. I felt terrible that my mom was driving this far this late at night.   
  
"I'm sure it's fine but let me ask," I really wish it wasn't already so late mom. I know your night vision is terrible." Before I even turned to ask Ben he held his hand out to me, in a 'Let me talk to her gesture'. I handed him the phone.

"Hi Deanna, it's Ben. What's going on?" I watched as he listened to my mom talk. His eyes focused on the rocks glasses he was spinning between his deft fingers. "Ok. Well, how bout this? You just stay put. There is no need for you to drive two hours only to get here at eleven pm. I live twenty minutes from her. I can run home in the morning to change before I drive her to the studio to get her bag then back to here once you get here." He paused listening to my mom, nodding at whatever she was saying, a small grin on his face. "Yes ma'am. I promise ma'am. Ok, here she is."

I arched a brow at him as he handed the phone back to me, "Yes?" I stared at him dumbfounded as my mom's voice answered my question. "So...Ben is goin' to just sleep in your guest room tonight and check on you every two hours. He promises to take you to get your bag and bring you home. And to be a gentleman." I arched a brow at him and he winked at me.

 _So apparently Ben Solo and I were having a sleepover...What could go wrong_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one took a while to post! I've been working on playing catch up with going back to work full-time and also participating in a writing challenge which is now completed! WOOHOO! Hopefully, that means more updates more often not only to this fic but my others as well! Hold on guys, because once Ben returns to work and Rey is stuck at home things get crazy fast!!


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